The Covid-19 outbreak has completely changed the way the world is functioning. It has not only impacted nations, governments and large businesses but has brought amendments in the functioning of even the local kirana merchants. With the government directive of maintaining social distance and ensuring sanitisation, consumers today have started making a conscious choice of buying right, safe and hygienic.
Even in the service sector, contactless service is being promoted. Use of masks, gloves has been made essential. It has become a way of living for the people.
Keeping the above in mind, the businesses have also started exploring new ways of functioning.
Technical advancements and online functioning have taken over workflows, and organisations are trying to catch up with the pace of change.
Within a couple of months, companies have been challenged to update and upgrade themselves.
Be it global giants or local shop owners, everyone is moving towards digitalization.
At Liqvd Asia, we have been working towards helping small and medium enterprises cope with the difficult times.
Here’s a handy guide on how small businesses should respond to Covid-19.
Many businesses will either stop operations or reduce scale. So SMEs have to adapt to rapid changes to survive in these changing market conditions. They have to be more cost-savvy and digital-savvy.
The burden on SME owners has increased, as the earlier traditional working hours is no longer effective. Now the owner needs to work round the clock in order to be ahead of the game. This is possible only with the assistance of more than 1 person to bring about the change. A human body has its own limitations, but when the job is transferred to a different organisation i.e. an advertising agency, it plays a very prominent role during this tough time and gives you an edge over others. Business owners must shift their sales strategy to social media, emails and phone calls to avoid heavy losses.
With the onset of Covid-19, people have started preferring locally manufactured products. There has been a rise in products manufactured and produced in India. So, companies can also make a shift towards this initiative and utilise this for building various campaigns for products and services. In this regard, taking help of a good marketer and promoting a message around hope, positivity, and perseverance, will definitely build better rapport with the consumers.
Whether it is transitioning to online services, reimbursing clients for missed or canceled services or working on long-term projects like SEO and Investing in SEO, being the first small business in the competitive environment always gives you a competitive edge.
In this regard, increase of digital media visibility using websites, mailers, WhatsApp for business, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms ensure that consumers see your brand constantly. Everyone is facing this crisis together, so be transparent about what your business is going through. As a saying goes, “Customers can empathise with brands facing a crisis, as long as you communicate with them properly.”
Whether it is going online, communicating through mailers, messages and ads, or adapting to new tools and SEO, one should always keep the communication consistent to stay ahead of competitors.
We recognise that this is a terrible time for most businesses, especially small businesses without any support. Everyone, including our agency, has to make some incredibly tough decisions during this time. However, we do advise you to set yourself up for lean operations and tough times ahead then seek to find ways to win.
A business’s messaging matters now more than ever.Offering help, and not just products and services will build the community, not profit. In LIQVD ASIA these times call for compassionate creativity. And as an Inbound Marketing agency supported by our incredibly talented group of marketers we believe in empowering brands, which leads to growth of our clients.
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